Paper or like drinking cup



Oct. 13, 1964 Filed Feb. 12, 1964 FIG.3

INVENTOR. LESTER A. GROSSMAN ATTORN EY United States Patent Office 3,152,743 Patented Get. 13, 196?:

3,152,743 PAPER R LIKE DRINKING CUP Lester A. Grossman, New York, N.Y. (236 Blake Ave., Brooklyn 12, N.Y.) Filed Feb. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 344,321 6 Claims. (Cl. 229-15) The present invention relates to a drinking cup and, more particularly, to a paper drinking cup, of the disposable type, and especially to such cup suitable to be used for hot liquids, and has for its principal object to provide drinking cups, of the character described, which afford the conveniences and advantages not available with similar drinking cups of the prior art.

Persons using drinking cups, as when drinking coffee or other beverages, frequently leave an unconsumed portion of the beverage at the bottom of the cup and have to discard the cup with the portion of its liquid content still remaining therein. In most instances, there is no place, such as a sink or other drain, conveniently available for discharging the liquaid remnants in the cup and the user is compelled to discard the cup with its remnant liquid into a receptacle not intended for and not suitable to receive liquids, such as a wastebasket, which is generally the most available place for discarding used paper cups. Of course, the discarding of liquid into a wastebasket causes a mess in the wastebasket, which is difficult to clean up and, as wastebaskets are frequently leaky, may also bring about the soiling and messing up of the floor area surrounding the wastebasket. Even where the user may intend to take the trouble to carry the cup and discharge the remaining liquid therein into a place where it may be drained off, it is not always convenient for the user to do so at once, and the cup may be left on a table or desk, for later disposal of its contents, and the cup may, while waiting, be inadvertently turned over and its contents spilled, to create a messy condition on the table or desk and even damage articles that may be disposed on it.

It is the object of the present invention to provide paper cups, of the character described, having means for creating a reservoir for left-over or remnant liquids, into which the left-over liquid may be emptied and from which it will not readily flow out, so that even when the cup is dropped into a wastebasket and turned over, its remnant contents within the reservoir will not flow out to create the undesired conditions explained above.

It is another object of the present invention to provide paper drinking cups, of the character described, which may provide increased heat insulation against cooling and also for the users hands.

It is another object of the present invention to provide paper drinking cups, of the character described, which may be conveniently and compactly stacked within one another, and will occupy but little more space in stacked arrangement than similar cups of the prior art.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide paper drinking cups, of the character described, which may be readily dispensed from dispensing containers.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide paper cups, of the character described, which are simple and easy to manipulate and use.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide paper drinking cups, of the character described, which may be fabricated and produced at a relatively little increase in cost.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the paper drinking cups of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the embodiments thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, and from the description following. It is to be understood, however, that such embodiments are shown by Way of illustration only, to make the principles and practice of the invention more readily comprehensible, and without any intent of limiting the invention to the specific details therein shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational and partly vertical, sectional view of one form of a paper drinking cup embodying the present invention, shown in normal, telescoped position;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view of the cup of FIG. 1, shown in its other, extended position;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1, showing a modified embodiment of the paper drinking cup of the present invention; shown in the telescoped position;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, sectional view of the cup of FIG. 3; shown in extended position.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, sectional view of the cup of FIG. 1; with alternative means for preventing backflow of liquid into the cup.

Generally stated, the present invention contemplates the provision of a cup having inner and outer bottom walls, with the outer bottom wall connected to the cup by foldable, fluid-tight telescoping means, and with the inner bottom wall provided with one or more openings so that when the outer Wall is telescoped in proximity to the inner bottom wall, the cup may be used in a normal manner and, when it is desired to discard the cup while some of the liquid still remains at its bottom, the outer bottom wall may be moved away from the inner bottom wall to create a reserve chamber into which the remnant fluid at the bottom of the cup will flow but from which such fluid will not be readily discharged even should the cup overturn.

Referring now, in greater detail, to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, and with particular reference to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the same is shown to comprise a paper cup of generally conventional shape, including a slightly downwardly tapered tubular upright wall, 12, having a bottom wall, 14, which may be slightly inwardly recessed from the bottom edge of the wall 12. Both the tubular wall 12 and the bottom wall 14 may be formed of paper of the type conventionally used for the purpose, such as the relatively stiff waxed or similarly treated paper.

The cup of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 is also provided with a relatively shallow outer cup, generally designated as 16, consisting of a relatively short tubular wall, 18, adapted to fit about the lower portion of the tubular wall 12, and a bottom wall, 20. The tubular wall 18 of the outer cup 16 may be connected to the lower portion of the Wall 12 of the cup 10, by a preferably thin, readily-pliable, liquid-proof sleeve, 22, as of paper or plastic film. The sleeve 22 may be connected by the outer surface of the marginal edge portion of one of its edges to the inner surface of the marginal portion of the upper edge of the wall 18 of the cup 16, so that it extends inwardly into such cup, and by the inner surface of the marginal portion of its other edge to the outer surface of the wall 12 of the cup 16, at a distance from its bottom edge less than the height of the wall 18. Both connections may be formed to be liquid-tight and preferably also air-tight. One or more perforations, such as 24, of relatively small diameter, are provided in the bottom wall 14 of the cup 10. The manner in which the cup of FIGS. 1 and 2 may be used will now be clear. Normally, the outer cup will be telescoped about the lower portion of the inner cup 10 with its bottom wall 20 substantially up against the bottom wall 14 of the inner cup 10, and the sleeve 22, lying fiat between them. In this position, the capacity of the cup 10 will not be materially affected by the presence of the holes, 24, at its bottom. However, when it is desired to discard the cup 10 with some of the liquid remaining therein, the shallow outer cup 16 may be moved away, downwardly and outwardly of the cup 10, so that the connecting sleeve 22, instead of being folded within the cup 16, will be unfolded into extended position and provide a reservoir chamber, 26, defined between the bottom of the inner cup 10 and the bottom of the outer cup 16, by the sleeve 22.

It may here also be stated that, especially if a single opening 24 is provided in the bottom wall 14 of the cup 10, valve means may be provided for such opening. As illustrated, such valve means comprises a strip of resiliently flexible material, 36, which may be the same as the material of the wall 12 of the cup, or of plastic, which is secured to the underside of the wall 14 by one end and is provided at its other end with an upwardly-extending thickened portion, forming a valve head, 32, arranged to fit within the opening 24. It will be clear that when the cups 10 and 16 are in telescoped position the valve head 32 will close the opening 24 and be held in closing position by the juxtaposed bottom wall 20 of the outer cup 16. It will also be apparent that when the outer cup 16 is moved away, the pressure of the liquid on the bottom of the cup 10, together with the suction created by the outward movement of the cup 16, will be generally sufficient to move the valve head 32 away from the opening 24, to permit fluid to flow through opening 24 into the chamber 26, and that such valve head will serve to prevent outflow of the fluid from the reservoir chamber 26, after it is filled. If desired, the valves may be connected by a strip, 34, of paper, thread, or the like, to the bottom wall 20 to assure its opening when the two cups are spaced from one another.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings, the auxiliary cup or reservoir, instead of being connected on the exterior of the cup 10 and fitting thereabout when in extended position, is provided within the recess at the bottom of the cup 10 formed by the inwardly-offset bottom wall 14 thereof, into which the auxiliary cup may be telescoped. In the last embodiment, the reservoir chamber 36 is formed by a bottom wall, 38, and a tube, 40, preferably of impervious paper or plastic film, which is peripherally pleated to form one or more accordion pleats, and which is connected by one marginal edge portion to the bottom wall 38 and by its other marginal edge portion to the marginal edge portion of the bottom Wall 14 or to the marginal edge portion of the tubular wall 12 below the wall 14. It will be readily understood that the tube 40 may be longitudinally pleated or creased, so as to permit the formation of the peripheral accordion pleats, in a manner that is well known and not thought necessary to be specifically illustrated. If desired, particularly when formed of a plastic film, the bottom wall 38 may be integrally formed with the tubular wall 40, and it may be provided with a pull tab, 42. Also, if desired, the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4 may also be provided with valve means, 44, for the opening 24, similar to that shown in connection with the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2.

It will be clear that the cup last described may be used for the same purpose and in the same manner as the cup of FIGS. 1 and 2; namely, by pulling out the bottom wall 38 so as to extend the pleated tube 40 to form the reservoir chamber 36 into which remnant fluid on the bottom of the cup 10 may flow through the opening 24.

In FIG. of the drawings, alternative means are disclosed for preventing backflow of liquid from the reservoir chamber 36 into the cup 10. This may consist of a section of thin sheet material, such as tissue paper or plastic film, 46, which may be disposed against the marginal edge portion of the opening 24, on the underside of the bottom wall 14, and may be secured in place by its four corners, as at 48. When the reservoir chamber of either of the embodiments illustrated is in telescope position, its bottom wall will hold the film 46 against the underside of the bottom wall 14 to substantially close the opening 24. When the reservoir chamber, 26 or 36, is set up, the weight of the remnant liquid in the cup 10 and the suction created by pulling out the bottom wall, will cause the film 46 to sag at the center and permit the remnant liquid to flow over its edges into the reservoir chamber. After such flow is completed, reverse flow will be prevented by pressure on the liquid in the reservoir chamber against the film section 44.

This completes the description of the drinking cups of the present invention. It will be apparent that such cups provide great advatnages in avoiding unsanitary and unsightly messes when discarded. It will also be apparent that the cups of the present invention are simple, easy and convenient to use; that they are of little if any increase in bulk; that they may be compactly stacked, and that they may be readily dispensed from suitable dispensers such as used with cups of the prior art.

It will be readily apparent that numerous modifications and variations in the paper drinking cups of the present invention may be made by any one skilled in the art, in accordance with the principles of the invention hereinabove set forth, without the exercise of any inventive ingenuity. I desire, therefore, to be protected for any and all such variations and modifications that may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the claims hereto appended.

What I claim is:

1. In a disposable drinking cup, including a bottom wall and a tubular upright Wall, an extensible auxiliary chamber comprising a bottom wall and a foldable tubular upright wall, said upright wall secured by one marginal edge portion to said last-named bottom wall, and by its other marginal edge portion to said cup, said bottom Wall of said auxiliary chamber foldable against the bottom of said cup in one position of said foldable Wall, and in extended relation thereto in another position of said foldable wall to form a chamber, and an opening in said bottom wall of said cup communicating with the interior of said auxiliary chamber. 2. The disposable drinking cup of claim 1, wherein said foldable tubular upright wall is secured by its said other marginal edge portion to the exterior of the upright wall of said cup.

3. The disposable drinking cup of claim 2, wherein said foldable upright wall comprises a relatively rigid annular section, said rigid annular section connected at one edge to said last-named bottom wall, and a pliable annular section, said pliable annular section connected at one edge to the other edge of said pliable annular section and by its other edge to said upright wall of said cup.

'4. The disposable drinking cup of claim 1, wherein said bottom wall of said cup is inwardly offset from the bottom edge of said upright wall and said foldable upright wall is secured by said other edge to said cup within said recess formed by said inwardly-offset bottom wall and is foldable into said recess.

5. The disposable drinking cup of claim 1, wherein releasable closure means are provided for said opening, said closure supported on the bottom of said bottom wall and adapted to be opened upon extension of'said foldable wall to form an auxiliary chamber.

6. The disposable drinking cup of claim 1, wherein means are provided on said last-named bottom wall for manual engagement for pulling said last-named bottom wall away from said bottom wall of said cup.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,563,352 Morse Aug. 7, 1951 2,886,229 Katz May 12, 1959 2,915,176 ONeil Dec. 1, 1959 2.962,201 Brillis et a1 Nov. 29, 1960 

1. IN A DISPOSABLE DRINKING CUP, INCLUDING A BOTTOM WALL AND A TUBULAR UPRIGHT WALL, AN EXTENSIBLE AUXILIARY CHAMBER COMPRISING A BOTTOM WALL AND A FOLDABLE TUBULAR UPRIGHT WALL, SAID UPRIGHT WALL SECURED BY ONE MARGINAL EDGE PORTION TO SAID LAST-NAMED BOTTOM WALL, AND BY ITS OTHER MARGINAL EDGE PORTION TO SAID CUP, SAID BOTTOM WALL OF SAID AUXILIARY CHAMBER FOLDABLE AGAINST THE BOTTOM OF SAID CUP IN ONE POSITION OF SAID FOLDABLE WALL, AND IN EXTENDED RELATION THERETO IN ANOTHER POSITION OF SAID FOLDABLE WALL TO FORM A CHAMBER, AND AN OPENING IN SAID BOTTOM WALL OF SAID CUP COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID AUXILIARY CHAMBER. 